


Without Words

by Daegaer



Category: Weiß Kreuz
Genre: Assassins, Families of Choice, Friendship, M/M, Psychic Abilities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-07-27
Updated: 2007-07-27
Packaged: 2017-10-23 04:03:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/246098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daegaer/pseuds/Daegaer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Facing public scrutiny, Mamoru wants some friendly reassurance</p>
            </blockquote>





	Without Words

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Louise Lux for beta-reading!

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Nagi said.

Mamoru blushed at the outraged tone and the clear offence in Nagi's face. He sheepishly stopped stroking Nagi's thigh, lifting his hand from his leg just as the car door opened.

"Keep your hands to yourself," Nagi muttered and got out, the sea of paparazzi and sightseers parting before him in a way that showed just how irritated he was. Mamoru caught a glimpse of vicious satisfaction in his eyes as a tabloid reporter inexplicably fell against the NHK cameraman. He winced at the sound the camera made on the pavement, and got inside the courthouse as quickly as possible, before Nagi really decided to get angry.

Why did Nagi have to be so damn unpleasant? he thought. All he'd wanted was some sort of affection, something reassuring, not to act out the porn scene Nagi's reaction implied. He was a fool to expect _affection_ or _reassurance_ to be part of Nagi's vocabulary, he thought bitterly. Everything about Nagi was sharp-edged and wary, done for expectations of professional gain rather than actual human feeling. There probably wasn't a heart in there, just some robotic calculator of gains and losses, and an operating system that wasn't very good at mimicking human behaviour. He squashed down the memory of Nagi the night before, his face tucked into the crook of Mamoru's neck, his breathing fast and uneven as he whispered things he'd never say in daylight. It was probably just another duty to him.

He glanced at his watch, his lawyers, back at his watch. He'd be called back into the tribunal soon and had to be capable of sense when they asked probing questions about his relationships with Reiji and Suuichi. Not that he really believed anything would go wrong. Grandfather had promised him that by the end of the day no one would ever again doubt his claims on the Takatori family nor his innocence of involvement in the Takatori crimes. It was the waiting that was nerve-wracking, just as it had always been before missions. He looked back at his watch, concentrating on the inexorable movement of the second hand.

"Before you go in," Nagi said right in his ear, making him start, "I need to update you on something. Privately."

Mamoru nodded, and let himself be whisked away to a consultation room. Nagi stood still, concentrating, before announcing, "No bugs."

Mamoru gave him a weak smile. "That's always impressive."

"Quiet. What the hell was that about in the car?" Nagi said.

"Ah," Mamoru said. " _Update_ as in _chastise_. Wonderful."

"Listen to me. You are to act in perfect propriety in public, do you hear? Your age already makes you look inconsequential, there's no need to act like your hormones have you at their beck and call. Act like a damn adult, Mamoru, and maybe someone might forget you're a kid."

Mamoru unballed his fists and kept his voice quiet. "Don't you lecture me on adult behaviour. Haven't I been patient? It's taken nearly two years to get to this point –"

"Maybe you shouldn't have insisted on the long drawn out legal process," Nagi said. "Your Grandfather could have arranged things much more quietly and quickly."

"Now who's being childish?" Mamoru snapped.

Nagi's stance went from irritated to _don't-fuck-with-me_ professional so quickly Mamoru took a step back, alarmed at how little Nagi suddenly looked like someone who should still be in high school.

"See the difference not acting like a kid makes?" Nagi said, his voice mean and tight. He heaved a theatrically irritated sigh. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Mamoru mumbled, still watching Nagi a little warily.

"Nothing except feeling scared and alone and suddenly needing someone to hold your hand?"

"Are you _sure_ you're not a telepath?" Mamoru said suspiciously.

"Who needs telepathy? I just ask myself, _What's the stupidest thing someone might think in this situation?_ It's never failed me yet."

"Gee, thanks," Mamoru said, as lightly as he could.

"Mamoru –"

Nagi pulled him close, one hand on the back of his neck, the other in the small of his back. Mamoru felt something in him relax as he let himself rest his head on Nagi's shoulder. Just because the embrace was wordless it didn't mean reassurance wasn't in Nagi's vocabulary, he thought, feeling vaguely ashamed of his earlier views. He tightened his arms around Nagi, breathing in the scent of clean skin and freshly laundered clothes as Nagi's embrace tightened too. He felt safe and didn't care how stupid they would look to outsiders, two skinny kids clinging to each other. He knew Nagi to be both irresistible force and immovable object, his greatest weapon and his strongest fortress.

"What if they ask about the kidnapping again?" he whispered. "Last time I thought I'd throw up –"

"I'll be in the room," Nagi said into his hair. "I'll be right there, I promise. I'll kill anyone who makes you turn even the tiniest bit green."

"That's a joke, right?"

"You are such an idiot," Nagi said without heat. It didn't sting; it sounded almost like a declaration of some kind. He let go, took a half-step back, and straightened Mamoru's tie neatly.

"We're going back out there," Nagi said, putting his hands on Mamoru's shoulders. "We're going to act like responsible adults. Do you think I don't read what the tabloids say about _the Takatori boy_ and his _baby bodyguard_? Let's not give them the satisfaction of seeing us act like scared kids." One of his rare smiles flickered across his face. "Not that I'm scared. Don't you be either. I'll be right there."

Mamoru nodded, taking a deep breath and banishing childish emotion from his face. Nagi opened the door and Mamoru strode out, adult, professional. No one could later fault him on the cool, calm way he answered the tribunal's questions. But then no one could feel the invisible touch that held his hand tight through the questioning, hour upon hour.


End file.
